Incleborough Hill, is a registered Common situated between East and West Runton, it consists of acidic grassland and associated continuous scrub on a substantial hill. It is part of a much larger County Wildlife Site.
Please note this site is not a Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserve.
Habitat description from the Wildlife in Common Survey
Dry acid grassland on top of the hill. The sward is mainly of common bent (
Agrostis capillaris), Yorkshire fog (
Holcus lanatus), and sheep’s sorrel (
Rumex acetosella), with a little early hair-grass (Aira praecox) and wavy hair-grass (
Deschampsia flexuosa). Grazed very short by rabbits in swathes along the main paths on the top of the hill, but is longer in adjacent areas. The sward intergrades with gorse scrub (
Ulex europaeus), plus some stunted bracken (
Pteridium aquilinum) and bramble (
Rubus fruticosus agg.).
Bracken-dominated Tall herbs on the flanks to the east and north-east, with occasional trees – oak (
Quercus robur), silver birch (
Betula pendula), rowan (
Sorbus aucuparia), sycamore (
Acer pseudoplatnus) and shrubs of elder (
Sambucus nigra), hawthorn (
Crataegus monogyna), blackthorn (
Prunus spinosa) and bramble with honeysuckle (
Lonicera periclymenum).
Gorse scrub with scattered trees and other shrubs on the flanks to the north and west. Dodder (
Cuscuta epithymum), parasitic on the gorse, is a feature of this site, and occurs annually on scattered bushes. Heath bedstraw (
Galium saxatile), sweet vernal grass (
Anthoxanthemum odoratum), and foxgloves (
Digitalis purpurea) are occasional amongst the scrub.
Semi-natural broadleaved woodland (A1.1) on the flanks to the south and south-east. Mainly of oak, silver birch, rowan, sycamore with occasional ash (
Fraxinus excelsior), holm oak (
Quercus ilex), Scots pine (
Pinus sylvestris), sweet chestnut (
Castanea sativa), downy birch (
Betula pubescens). Trees are mainly low and scrubby, sometimes bare beneath, with some (artificially created?) bays or small glades by the circumnavigating path, and areas of wood sage (
Teucrium scorodonia), broad buckler-fern (
Dryopteris dilatata) and bluebells (
Hyacinthoides non-scripta). By the east entrance gate are some mature-veteran oak trees.